


sudden burst of sunlight

by yodepalma



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Attempt at Humor, Crack Relationships, Fluff, Hinted Regis/Clarus, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Poor Life Choices, why am i still writing this?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-01 13:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11487207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yodepalma/pseuds/yodepalma
Summary: Regis sends Cor out to deal with a particularly irritating reporter. Cor ends up sleeping with him instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> listen i wrote the first cor/dino as a joke AND NOW LOOK. i can't even blame anyone but myself this time. uuuuuuuggghh
> 
> FTR i headcanon dino as ~25 and cor is his game age here (45). if this bothers you, pls skedaddle posthaste.
> 
> also after much PAINSTAKING RESEARCH, greyskiesblack and i have decided cor is like noct's height because his boots CLEARLY have 2" heels, while dino is just a smidge taller than ignis. fight me i like short!cor and i will go down with this headcanon.
> 
> title from [stray italian greyhound](https://youtu.be/Yx35eyqVdUM). ya'll should listen to it.

So what do I do with this?  
This sudden burst of sunlight  
And me with my umbrella  
Cross-indexing every weatherman's report  
-Vienna Tang,  _[Stray Italian Greyhound](https://youtu.be/Yx35eyqVdUM)_

 

Cor wakes to the obnoxious sound of his ringtone. Early morning calls are usually emergencies, so he _ought_ to be worried about it, but he finds himself more concerned with the identity of whoever is sleeping next to him.

"What is that _noise_?" a heavily-accented voice asks, and Cor remembers. The reporter. The very attractive, inappropriately young reporter. The one he was supposed to convince to stop asking annoying questions.

He's still not entirely certain what Regis had expected him to do, but he's willing to bet having sex with Dino was not it.

The phone stops ringing. Dino makes a soft noise of relief, but Cor frowns as he waits for the notification that he has a voicemail. Which never comes. Instead, it starts ringing again.

" _Seriously_?" Dino whines and pokes Cor in the back. "Make it _stop_."

Cor sighs and levers himself out of bed to find his pants. They're tangled up on the floor near the foot of the bed, and once Cor has his phone in hand he sits back down. No sense in exerting so much energy before his first cup of coffee.

He swipes across the screen to answer the call, and holds the phone up to his ear. After a second, he remembers to grunt a greeting.

"I was starting to think the reporter got the drop on you." Clarus' voice is far too cheerful for this early in the morning. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Yes." Cor turns to look at his bedside table to see what time it is, and remembers too late that he's not home. He rubs his face and hopes coffee will magically appear. "What time is it?"

"It's almost _ten_ , Cor."

Cor rubs his face again. He's two hours _late_. The Crownsguard are going to give him so much shit for this. "I was up late." It's a pathetic excuse and he knows it.

"Doing what, exactly?" Clarus sounds faintly worried, but Cor still hesitates. He hasn't had a conversation this awkward in at _least_ a decade.

"The reporter," he says. He hopes he's not blushing. He doesn't care if Clarus can't see it. He's too old to blush about sex.

There's a long, heavy silence. He waits patiently for it to end. "You were _doing_ the reporter." Clarus sighs, the old put-upon one that says he can't believe he has to put up with Cor's shit. Cor is _very_ familiar with the sound. "You couldn't have killed him? He can't report his own death."

Cor snorts. "He's a Crown citizen. Not worth the paperwork."

"Did you at least accomplish what we needed you to do?"

Cor has to think about that for a second. He vaguely remembers Dino suggesting a date as payment for him to shut up, but he's not sure if he ever got an actual promise. "Give me an hour."

Cor can _see_ Clarus pinching the bridge of his nose. "Take the day off, Cor. I'll tell Regis you're still hammering out an agreement."

"We have an agreement," Cor says. "I just need to verify it."

Another heavy silence. "Cor, please tell me you didn't have sex to guarantee his silence."

"I didn't have sex to guarantee his silence," Cor repeats dutifully. "I only had to buy him dinner for that. Probably."

"You know, that actually doesn't reassure me." Clarus' voice is almost _whiny_. Cor kind of feels proud of himself. "Just...come up with something more concrete than that. Please."

"I'll call you when I figure it out," Cor says, and that's enough of a goodbye for them to hang up.

Dino drapes himself over Cor's back the second he tosses the phone onto the bed. "What was _that_ about?" he purrs. Like he doesn't already know.

"Work," Cor says. "Do you have any coffee? We need to talk."

"Talk." Dino scoffs. "What do you want to _talk_ for?" He trails his fingers down Cor's chest.

Cor catches them in one hand to keep them still. "I like having a job. Coffee?"

Dino slumps dramatically against him. Cor can _feel_ him pouting. "Fine. I _suppose_ I can make us breakfast." He kisses Cor's jaw before he climbs out of bed.

Cor only has a second to admire his bare ass before Dino's picking up a soft robe and shrugging it on. With a disappointed sigh, he follows Dino's lead and slides on his own pants. He briefly considers putting on a shirt, but he's not sure where it _is_. Oh well.

The apartment is tiny, but the kitchen is separated from the rest of the room by an open doorway. Dino stops in the middle of it and spins around to smirk at Cor.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He puts his hands on Cor's hips and steps close enough that Cor has to tilt his head back to glare at him properly. "There's a charge for coffee."

Cor could _easily_ shove him out of the way. Except Dino leans in to kiss him, and coffee suddenly seems that much less important. For a few seconds, anyway.

Dino pulls away slowly and smiles down at him. "What do you want for breakfast?"

Cor frowns and tries to care enough about food to remember what any of it's called. "If it comes with coffee, I'll eat it."

Dino _laughs_. Cor can't decide if he's annoyed or not. It wasn't meant to be funny.

Dino points him in the direction of the coffee and Cor shuffles over. He's distracted by the dozen different bags of beans, so it takes him a minute to actually look at the coffee machine. It ought to be in a café, not a normal person's kitchen.

"Why does it have so many _buttons_?" he grumbles.

The question distracts Dino from whatever he's doing by the stove, and he comes over to explain. Cor lets him talk for a second before he realizes he's taking none of it in. He holds up a hand.

"That was rhetorical," he says. "Just...make it make coffee."

"I suppose it's pointless to ask _which_ coffee," Dino says, but he doesn't sound upset. Cor looks over to see a tiny smile on his lips, and when he catches Cor looking, he _winks_. "I'll let you try my favorite, then."

"I feel special." Cor watches with narrow eyes as Dino effortlessly gets the machine running.

"Well, you should." Dino slides a hand across Cor's bare shoulder and presses a lingering kiss to his cheek. "I don't let just anyone drink it."

He drifts away before Cor can think of a response, back to poking at his stove like he hadn't done anything strange.

Well, maybe it's not strange to _him_. Maybe he touches people as casually as he flirts with them. It's just that Cor must be _twice_ Dino's age, and even if he's in great shape he's also covered in ugly scars. He can't imagine _what_ Dino sees in him.

The machine sputters out the last drips of coffee, and he shakes himself free of his thoughts. He'll have plenty of time to feel sorry for himself later. Right now he needs to focus on waking up. He sits at the table and hunches over the mug so he can inhale the steam while he watches Dino cook.

"I'm not the best chef." Dino puts two plates on the table, then pulls the other chair close to Cor's and sits down. Their knees bump together, but Cor can't be bothered to move. "But I make a mean omelet. Come on, try it." He cuts off a piece with the fork on Cor's plate and lifts it to Cor’s lips. "Please?"

Cor hasn't even finished his damned coffee yet. _How_ does Dino have the energy to be this annoying? And cute. But mostly _annoying_.

"Oh, fine." Dino pouts, but he puts the fork down and turns to his own food. His knees are _still_ pressed against Cor's. He opts to ignore it for now.

They eat in silence until Cor _finally_ feels the coffee kick in. He watches Dino for another minute before he puts down his fork with a sigh. Dino looks up at the sound and does something _suggestive_ with his omelet. Cor swallows against the sudden lump in his throat. Damnit, how can one man be so effortlessly sexy?

Cor clears his throat. "I've been _informed_ that I need a more concrete way to keep you from asking questions. Is there anything the Crown can give you?"

Dino fiddles with his fork and looks up at him from behind his eyelashes, but the coy look is somewhat ruined by his smirk. "You could take me out on another date. It's all I really want from _you_."

"That's not sufficient." Cor takes a deep breath and clenches his hands around his empty mug. He should stay on task, but he _has_ to ask. "Why do you even _want_ another date?"

Dino raises both of his eyebrows. "You mean _other_ than the fantastic sex?" he asks. It's a good point. "Maybe I just enjoy your company." He bumps his knee against Cor's.

It's a ridiculous suggestion. People don't _enjoy_ his company. Not unless they've known him for years.

But Dino _looks_ earnest enough, his body leaning toward Cor and his gaze never dropping. Assuming it's not all an act, it's pretty damn flattering. And Dino is _very_ charming.

Which is probably why Cor finds himself saying, "If you want me to take you out again, I will. But the king will want to offer you something else."

Dino sighs and gets out of his seat, turning to the coffee machine and fiddling with the controls. His shoulders look tense beneath the robe.

"Being a reporter was never my dream job, but I'm good at it." The machine sputters to life, and Dino taps on the counter. "You're going to think I'm ridiculous."

Cor narrows his eyes. "Maybe."

Dino huffs out a soft laugh. "Are you _always_ so honest?"

"When it matters."

Dino finishes making his coffee, then turns around and leans against the counter. His long fingers cross over each other as he wraps them around his mug. "I make jewelry in my spare time. They offer people a little extra strength, once I've drawn the magic out of the gems. I've always wanted to open a store to sell them. Make people safer _and_ more stylish."

This is nothing like what Cor had expected. He thought it'd be money or a title, something straightforward. He has no idea how Regis will react to this.

"Do you have any of your pieces here?" Cor asks. He's not going to suggest the king give Dino a store without at least some knowledge of the quality of his work.

Dino hesitates visibly, his expression unusually serious. "Cor, I have no intention of blackmailing the king into giving me a _store_."

And here he'd always thought reporters were completely shameless.

"You're not blackmailing him." Cor allows himself a tiny smile. "If you were, that would be treason."

Dino smiles back and gestures for Cor to move to the couch. He walks over to a large roll-top table and rummages through it with one hand.

"I don't have much right now," Dino says, sitting down next to Cor and showing him a bracelet set with pastel blue sapphires. Cor holds out a hand in a silent request to get a closer look at it. Rather than give it to him, Dino gently clasps it around Cor's wrist. "You should keep it. It matches your eyes."

Cor is _not_ blushing. He doesn't care how hot his cheeks feel. Or how smug Dino's stupid smile looks. "Thanks," he mutters, and resolutely ignores Dino so he can inspect the bracelet.

The quality is much better than he was expecting from a hobbyist. The stones are cut perfectly, and he can feel the gentle tingle of the magic in the finished piece. He won't know how strong it is unless he tests it out, but he's had enough experience with protective jewelry that he's confident in the workmanship.

"I don't think you'll have any problem getting a store." Cor spins the bracelet around his wrist. It feels like it was made _for_ him. "If you're _really_ lucky, the king might ask for some pieces for the glaives."

Dino's pleased smile is almost painful to look at. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He shuffles a little closer to Cor and traces a scar on his arm. "Do you have to let them know what I want right now?"

Cor really _should_ , but Dino's touch is incredibly distracting. Especially with the top of his robe falling open to show off his collarbones. "Clarus said I should take the rest of the day off to deal with this. I think they can wait, if you have something more interesting in mind."

"Oh, I might." Dino straddles Cor's lap, leaning down to kiss Cor's shoulder. "We could start by cataloging all of these _fascinating_ scars."

"That might take a while," Cor says reluctantly, but it doesn't keep him from tugging at the loose belt of Dino's robe.

Dino lets him push the robe off his shoulders. Then he kisses Cor slowly, like they have all the time in the world. It makes them both breathless, but Cor still slides a hand around the back of Dino's neck to prevent him from moving too far away.

"Good thing I don't have any other plans today," Dino murmurs. He presses their foreheads together and smiles, and it's _almost_ as breathtaking as the kiss. "Do you?"

"Not any more," Cor says, and pulls Dino back in. Everything else can wait. It's not every day Cor finds himself with a gorgeous man in his lap, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am not GUARANTEEING that there will be a continuation of this, but it's actually looking pretty likely that there will be at least one more chapter. i don't even know, ya'll.
> 
> also i spent _so much_ time researching sapphires after looking up pics of cor, so if you want an idea of what i'm talking about do a google image search for "pastel blue sapphires" or "ceylon sapphires". cor has really pretty pale blue eyes ok. dino would absolutely notice these things.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i named the waitresses after my cats fite me (ง'̀-'́)ง

This time Cor wakes to the gentle beeping of his alarm. He gives himself a minute to quietly hate mornings, his responsibilities, and the entire universe in general, and only then does he grab his phone off the nightstand and poke at it until the alarm stops. He rolls over in bed and strongly considers going back to sleep.

His phone vibrates the second he closes his eyes. He bites back a groan and opens the message from Regis. It's emoji of an alarm clock and a smiling sun. While he's poking through emoji so he can send back two of the neutral faces, his phone vibrates again. This time it's Clarus, with what appears to be a tiny emoji of a sunrise over a city, and a pair of eyes. Cor scowls and sends _him_ a short row of skull emoji and a coffin. He might kill Noctis for teaching the two of them how to use the damn things.

He drops his phone to the bed just in time for it to vibrate _again_. He decides to ignore it; he can't deal with the king before his first cup of coffee.

Cor props himself up on one arm and takes in the sight of Dino fast asleep beside him. It almost makes the morning seem _nice_. If only they could stay in bed. But Regis will be expecting him now that he knows Cor's awake, and he can't be kept waiting all day.

Cor reaches out and gives Dino's shoulder a shake. Dino mumbles something unintelligible and swats at his hand.

"Dino." Cor shakes him a little harder. "Wake up."

Dino opens a single eye to glare at him. "Better idea," he mumbles and tugs on Cor's arm. "Come down here."

Cor raises his eyebrows, but lets himself be pulled into a kiss. He cups Dino's face and makes it _thorough_ , pushing him onto his back. Dino makes a little surprised noise, but he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Cor's shoulders and kiss back.

Cor ends it before he can get carried away. "The king is waiting," he says against Dino's lips, and tugs himself free of his arms.

"What?" Dino asks as Cor drags himself out of bed. "How can you think about the king when you're kissing _me_?"

"Well, he's always been a good-looking man." Cor pulls on his pants and frowns at the rest of the room. His shirt is _still_ nowhere to be found. "Do you know where my shirt is?"

"Nope." Dino walks around the bed to Cor and hooks his fingers in his belt loops. "The king isn't better-looking than _me_ , is he?"

Cor gives him a long once-over. "Yes."

Dino pouts and tugs him closer. "But is he as good in bed as I am?"

"Don't know." Cor shrugs. "You'd have to ask Clarus."

"What?" Dino leans away and pouts _harder_. "Why would you tell me this when I can't _report it_?"

"Because you can't report it." Cor tugs Dino's fingers off his pants. "And if it makes it into the papers, I'll know why."

Dino huffs. "I suppose it's too soon for you to trust me."  He leans in and kisses Cor's nose. "But I've _never_ gone back on my word."

"That's good to know." Cor gives Dino a gentle shove. "Stop distracting me. And help me find my shirt."

Dino sighs, but he backs off without argument. "You can wear one of mine. I'm sure I have _something_ that will fit you."

Cor looks at Dino's shoulders skeptically. He might _rip_ anything Dino owns, especially if he doesn't have anything but button-ups.

"I _do_ have more casual clothes, you know." Dino walks over to his dresser and bends over to dig through the bottom drawer. "Here."

Cor takes the dark blue shirt from Dino and unfolds it to stare at the design. 'Raging Behemoth' is emblazoned across a picture of a roaring behemoth. "Do you actually _like_ this music?"

"It's not my favorite." Dino grins. "But I _did_ sleep with the drummer, so I kept the shirt as a souvenir."

Cor almost rolls his eyes. He should have expected something of the sort. "Was it worth it?"

Dino shrugs. "Well, I got a free shirt."

He should have expected _that_ too. "All right. Can I use your shower?"

Dino _beams_ at him. "Well—"

"No, you can't join me."  

"Spoilsport." Dino grabs his robe and leads Cor the short distance to the bathroom. "Towels are in the cabinet. Have fun!" He winks. Cor shuts the door in his face.

He pulls a fluffy towel out of the cabinet and hangs it on a hook on the back of the door, then turns to frown at the tub. He fiddles with the temperature of the water for a minute, then gives up and settles for a slightly too-hot shower. It's almost pleasant until he opens the shampoo and is assaulted by the fake flower smell. He glares at the bottle. Lavender. Of _course_. He should've gone back to his own apartment.

Too late now. He tries to ignore the smell, but the body wash makes it _worse_. Why did it have to be _lavender_? At least he won't have to get used to it.

He finishes his shower as quickly as he can, then glares at himself in the mirror after he pulls on Dino's shirt. It's not _quite_ as tight as he was expecting, but he still feels like he's going to tear it if he twists wrong. Though he supposes the very fact that he's _wearing_ a shirt makes him better-dressed than some people he knows.

He opens the door and follows the smell of coffee back to the kitchen, where he finds Dino carefully adding grounds to his ridiculous machine.

"That was fast." Dino turns to Cor with a smile. The bag of coffee slips from his hand and Cor _barely_ manages to catch it before it hits the floor. He straightens up slowly and deposits the bag on the counter. Maybe the shirt isn't all bad. Not if it can make Dino _speechless_. "Are you _sure_ we have to go out today?" Dino runs his hands up Cor's arms and gently squeezes his biceps. "I can think of a dozen things I'd rather do with you."

"Only a dozen?" Cor _knows_ he shouldn't tease Dino if he wants to make it to the Citadel on time, but honestly he'd rather stay in too.

"At _least_." Dino leans in for a kiss. Cor wraps his arms around his waist to keep himself from going for the robe's belt. "Pity we can't try them all out, hm?"

"Maybe next time." Cor gently disentangles himself and reaches around Dino to poke at the coffee machine. He's still not sure how to make it do what he wants. "Are you going to get dressed?"

"If I _must_." Dino pushes Cor's hands away and prods the machine to life. "I'll be back in a few minutes, kitten."

Cor stares as he walks away. _Kitten_? He shakes his head and takes his coffee to the table to wait. Maybe he'll just roll with it. If nothing else, the looks on Regis' and Clarus' faces will be _beautiful_.

Dino takes a solid twenty minutes to get ready, and when he saunters into the kitchen he smirks and holds out his arms. "So, am I fit for royalty?"

"I doubt it," Cor says, though Dino _is_ dressed better than him. Dino laughs. "Are you ready to go?"

"I suppose so." Dino takes Cor's empty coffee mug and moves it to the sink. "But shouldn't we eat before we leave?"

Cor shakes his head. "We can stop at a cafe by the Citadel. I'll pay."

"You're not trying to get out of our second date, are you?" Dino asks, putting a hand on his hip. "I could cook again instead."

"I like their muffins." Cor gets up and heads for the living room, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch. Dino pulls his own jacket out of a closet as Cor tugs his boots on.

Dino locks the door and they head off in the direction of the nearest subway. The streets are quiet around them, the sun having barely risen. Cor is relieved when Dino doesn't break the silence to talk. If he's nervous about going to the Citadel to see the king, he doesn't show it.

The train ruins the peace. Cor gives the only open seat to an old woman and clings to the same pole as Dino instead. He closes his eyes and wishes he'd gotten _two_ cups of coffee before leaving the apartment.

"You really should keep your eyes open." Dino's free hand lands gently on Cor's hip. "Someone might pick your pocket."

"They can try." Cor doesn't open his eyes. "Nobody's managed it yet."

Dino leans in closer to him. "I'll keep an eye out anyway." He doesn't take his hand off Cor's hip.

By the time they get off the train an hour later, the sunlight sends a sharp pain through his skull. He shields his eyes and glares at the sky, trying to decide if he should go all the way to his apartment to change into something more appropriate. Except that would keep him out in the sun _longer_ , and he'd run out of coffee a week ago.

Straight to the cafe it is. If anyone has a problem with his shirt, they can go get him a new one.

"Good morning, Marshal," Delilah says cheerfully as they walk into the crowded store. Cor nods back, but she probably misses it as she rushes back behind the counter.

"Is there a reason so many people are watching us?" Dino asks. He snakes a hand around Cor's shoulders as they get in line.

Cor glances around the room. "Most of them are Crownsguard. They probably want to know who you are."

"Have they never seen you _with_ someone before?"

Cor looks around the room again and considers the question. He recognizes most of the people here, but there isn't a single person that he actually socializes with. Not that he goes out much anyway. "Probably not."

Dino squeezes his shoulder. "Well, aren't they all in for a treat then?"

Cor narrows his eyes at Dino's delighted smirk. "Don't terrorize my soldiers."

Dino leans on Cor a little and his eyes widen innocently. It works surprisingly well on his face, but between Regis and his friends' children Cor's immune to the look. "Why would you think I'd do that? I doubt I'm scary to anyone in here."

"No." Cor gives Dino a pointed look. "But you do have your arm around _my_ shoulders."

Cor puts a hand on Dino's back and tugs him up to the counter. Cassie gives Cor the brightest smile he's ever seen from her.

"Well, look at this." She leans on the counter and tucks her graying hair behind her ear. "It's _lovely_ to see you with someone for a change."

Cor frowns at her. It's not like he hasn't come in with some of his men before. Though he supposes that's not what she _meant_.

Dino winks at her. "Maybe you'll even have a chance to get used to it."

Cor doubts that. Even if Dino does decide to stick around for a while, it'll probably be hard to get him to go out for a breakfast date. He's obviously even less of a morning person than Cor is.

"And he's a _charmer_ too." Cassie pushes herself off the counter and starts reaching for a cup. "Your usual then, Marshal?"

"Please." Cor nods toward Dino. "And whatever he wants."

"A caramel macchiato please. And Cor said something about muffins?"

Cassie gives them a suspiciously mischievous smile. "Go on and have a seat, boys. I'll have Delilah bring it to the table for you."

Cor scowls at her, but she winks at Dino and shoos them away. Cor sighs and guides Dino over to his favorite corner booth, where he can see the whole floor. He gestures for Dino to sit against the window and slides into the booth next to him. He can _feel_ everyone staring at him as the conversations around them die down.

As soon as Cor gets settled, Dino slides over until their sides are pressed together. He wraps his arm back around Cor's shoulders and props his head up with his other hand.

"Very cozy." Dino runs his finger back and forth across Cor's shoulder and gives him a slow smile. "I'm surprised the table was empty."

"It's always empty. It's my table." Cor gives Dino a little smile. "Being Marshal has its benefits."

Dino leans toward him. "And does being the Marshal's _boyfriend_ have benefits too?"

Cor's saved from answering immediately by Delilah appearing with their coffee and the biggest muffin he's ever seen. Cor raises his eyebrows at her as she put the plate on the table, but all she does is pat him on the back. "Enjoy your breakfast!"

Cor glares at the muffin. He didn't ask for _this_.

"Well?" Dino breaks off a piece of the muffin and pops it in his mouth, giving Cor an expectant look.

Cor looks down at his hands and spins the bracelet around his wrist. "I suppose you'll find out."

Dino smirks at him and kisses his cheek. "So when are you taking me out again anyway?" He eats another piece of the muffin.

Cor sighs and takes his phone out of his pocket, only to discover that the battery has finally run out. Oh well. At least nobody will be able to bother him this way. "I'll let you know when I can get to my schedule again."

Dino sighs, but he seems satisfied enough to drop the subject. He eyes Cor's cup with a frown. "Do you drink anything but plain coffee?"

Cor frowns at his coffee too. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's _boring_. Have you ever tried anything else?" Dino nudges his own drink toward Cor. "Live a little."

"I've lived plenty," Cor says, but he picks up the cup and takes a sip anyway. An espresso drink _probably_ isn't going to kill him. "Too sweet." He pushes it back to Dino.

"Well, that's why I like it." Dino smirks. "It's almost as sweet as I am."

Cor snorts and starts picking at the muffin before Dino can eat it all. Not that he thinks Dino is _capable_ of eating the whole thing. He just doesn't want to take the chance that he'll have to make it through the morning without food.

They eat in silence for a few minutes, until someone walks up to the table. Cor looks up to glare at them.

"Uh, hey, Marshal." Nyx gives him a half smile that's unusually nervous. "The cafe's kind of full. Can I sit here?"

Cor waits a beat so his glare can sink in, and then he nods at the empty bench across from him. Nyx puts his coffee on the table and slides into the seat, his eyes on Dino. "You look familiar."

Dino grins and wipes his fingers on a napkin before he holds out his hand. "Dino Ghiranze. And can I just say what a _pleasure_ it is to meet you, Mr. Ulric?"

Nyx's hand tightens around Dino's. "The reporter. Didn't Drautos punch you once?"

Dino grimaces and tugs his hand free of Nyx's. "And my face _still_ hurts when I think about it."

Cor frowns. "When did this happen?"

"A few years ago. I hadn't learned to dodge yet." Dino waves it off, but then he smirks at Cor. "Are you _worried_ about me, kitten?"

Nyx chokes on his coffee. " _Kitten_?"

Cor eats a piece of the muffin and gives Nyx his blandest look. "Problem?"

"No, sir." Nyx clears his throat. "Does _anything_ embarrass you?"

Before Cor can say no, Dino reaches over and hooks the tip of his finger under Cor's bracelet. "You just have to know how to compliment him."

Cor's horrified to feel himself blush at the memory. Nyx looks horrified at _seeing_ him blush, but Cor still rubs his face like he can rub away the color in his cheeks. " _Dino_."

"Well, you can't blame me for noticing how beautiful your eyes are." Dino puts his chin on Cor's shoulder. "And the sapphires suit you so well."

"They _do_ match his eyes," Nyx says. Cor glares at him. "Or...they don't? You know what, I'll drink this outside."

Dino snorts as Nyx picks up his coffee and walks out the door. "I see how it is. _You_ can terrorize your soldiers, but I can't."

"Technically, he's Drautos' man." Cor shrugs. "I would've let you scare him."

"Maybe the two of you shouldn't be scaring _anyone_ ," Cassie sets three to-go cups on the table and gives Cor's shoulder a sharp poke. "Not in my cafe."

Cor looks down at the coffee. "Are you kicking us out?"

"Yes." Cassie crosses her arms. "You're _late_."

"I guess I am." Cor sighs and picks up two of the coffees. "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen i told myself i would write like another 2k and end this and now there's going to be. at least one more part MAYBE TWO i don't even know any more. also sorry about the shitty chapter ending i just kind of. gave up.
> 
> ......raging behemoth is gladio's favorite band :D


End file.
